Trace-buckle.



UNr-rEn h STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

JOHN MENSEN, 0F OYENS, IOWA.

TRACE-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,187, dated April 26, 1904.

I Application filed November 6, 1903. Serial No. 180,067. (No model.)

I 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Mnivsniv, acitizen of the United States, residing at Oyens, in the county of Plymouth and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Trace-Buckle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buckles employed for adjustably. connecting the hame-tugs and the traces of harness, and has for its objectto improve and strengthen the construction and increase the convenience of operation of such devices without increasing the complication ofparts or the expense of manufacturing.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specifically pointed out in the claims. I a

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation, of the device applied.

The improved device comprises a main frame member 10, having at one end a lateral or outwardly-extending tongue 11 and with the other end deflected and provided with a bar 12, forming an offset loop for the passage of the forward or billet end of the main trace, (represented at 13,) and spaced from the bar 12 is the holdback-loop 14:. The frame is provided at its sides with the girth and backband loops 15 16 of the usual form. The loops 15 16 are preferably provided with antifriction-sleeves 17 18 of the usual form, as shown. The holdback, girth, and'baCk-band connections are not shown, as they form no part of the present invention. The frame 10 will be longer than the frames of such buckles as usually constructed to increase the bearing-surface upon which the trace member is supported and is provided adjacent to the tongue 11 with a transverse aperture 19 for the passage of the bail or loop 20 of the harnetrace, (represen ted at 21.) Disposed upon the outer face of the trace 13 is a clamp-plate 22, having at one end an elongated eye 23 for movable engagement with the 'bar 12 and at the other end with an elongated aperture 24 for engagement with the frame-tongue 11, as

shown. The bail 2O embraces the plate 22, together with the trace-billet 13, adjacent to the tongue 11 and in its rear, and the plate 22 is provided with a tongue 25, extending toward the frame 10, for engagement with an aperture in the trace 13, as shown. By this simple arrangement the trace is firmly clamped between two relatively large fiat surfaces and the strains distributed over a correspondingly large area of the trace, thereby greatly relieving the tongues 11 and 25 from transverse strains, while at the same time in event of the stretching of the trace or the breakage of the forward tongue the rear tongue 25 will receive the strain and prevent the release of the trace.

The adjustment can be very quickly made and without danger of losing the grip'of the trace.

The plate 22, being permanently connected to the bar 12, cannot be shaken loose should it he accidentally detached from the tongue 11 and bail 20 in event of the slackening of the traces or hame-tug.

The parts may be of any required size and of any required material, but will generally be of malleable iron or steel and maybe plated, japanned, or otherwise ornamented or coated for protection orto improve the appearance.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is r 1. In a combination trace-buckle, a frame having at one end a lateral tongue and at the other end an offset loop and provided with a transverse aperture adjacent to said tongue, a clamp-plate movably connected at one end with said loop and provided at the other end with an aperture for engagement with said lateral tongue, said plate being also provided with an inwardly-extending tongue disposed between said ofiset loop and the frame-aperture. andin longitudinal alinement with said lateral framecarried tongue and a hams-trace bail extending through said frame-aperture and inclosing said clamp-plate to provide means for adjustably supporting the trace between said plate and frame.

2; In a combination trace-buckle, of a frame having at one end a lateral tongue and at the other end an offset loop and provided with a transverse aperture adjacent to said tongue, a clamp-plate having at one end a longitudin allyextended eye for movable engagement with said loop and at the other end a longitudinallyextended aperture for movable engagement With said frame-tongue and with a lateral tongue extending toward the adjacent face of said frame, and a hame-trace bail extending through said frame aperture and inclosing I said clamp-plate.

In testimony that I claim-the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MENSEN.

Witnesses:

PAUL WANDERSHEID, R. N. SHERRILL. 

